Whiffletree.



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I v w 1 j .vr -r 1,014,034. WIIIFFLETREE. Riciiaau E.` aaarfrr, Boykins, Va. Filed May 2, 1911., Serial No. 624,591.

To all whom it may concern: i Beit known that I, RICHARD E. Banamr,i

a eitrzen of the United States. residing ati Boykins, in the county of Southamptom State of Virginia, have invented certain new',

and useful Improvements in Whitlletrees;

and I do hereby declare the following to bei a full, clear, and exact description of the? invention, such as will enable others skilled;

in the art to which it appertains to make:

and use the same. t

. My invention relates to new and useful` Improvements ia. ,whieftrsi eine the object of my invention is to provide a spring hulle-tree in which all sudden shocks an( ja rs caused by thc quick starting of the hprse t are taken u i nml absorbed by the springs'; thereby renrlering a unich more easy riding t vehicle and one nun-.h easier on the horse. \\'hi|lletrees of this character have hcretofore been defective in that the springs were. either so stitl` as to render them useless, or if constructed in sutlieiently elastic manner l allowed so innch freedom of movement of i the hoi-'se with respect to the shafts as to prohibit their use. 'l

it is a well known fact that a plurality of i springs each acting independently of the. others, but each in tnrii reinforcing thtel` others, as is the case in the customary form of elli )tical spring huilt up of alplurahty of leall s )rings is mitch more resilient. than is a single spring of the same strength, and g a further object of mv invention is to take advantage of this well-known fact by providing a'whille-tree composed of a plurality of springs rather than of a single spring as has been the custom heretofore.

With these and other objects in view, my j invention will be more fully described, illusg trated in the drawings which show a preferred embodiment o my whillle-tree aiid then specifically pointed out in the claimwhich is attached toand forms a part of this application.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improvedwhililetree. and Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 t of Fig. 1 showingthe Whittle-tree in end elevation.

Referrinv more specifically to the drawings in which simi ar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, 1 indicates a bar of wood provided centrally with a bore 2 by means of which it is ada ted to be secured to the running gear o a vehicle in the osition customarily occu iied by the whitl e-tree.. Semi-elliptical caf springs 3 and 4 are secured one upon either lside of this bar adjacent the central portion thereof by means of suitable clamps 5. 'lhese springs may cach be formed -of a single. pieee of spring iuetal, or they iua v BEST AVAILABLE COPY teach be builtl up from a plurality of leafv springs, the method of construction bcing well known to the art and therefore needing no description. The free ends of the spring 5 Fig. 2 of the drawings: Ropes 10 each have l one end firmly secured to one of the rings 7. while the opposite end of cach of said ropes i is passed through the corresponding pnl ey 0 and provided with a suitable form o trace connection l1 by means of which the horse may be secured to the whillle-tree.

As will be readily understood from the foregoing description all strain of the draft upon the whitlle-tree is'divided between the two springs 8 and 4 thus giving the whillletree the strength of-a whillle-tree having ,but one spring equal in strength to the stun of the strength of the two springs, the result being however that the Whittle-.tree is much moreelastic than would be the case if it was formed of one spring only. As described, the bar 1 is pivota ly mounted upon the running gear of the vehicle and the strain upon the opposite sides of the springs is therefore the same at all times.

I have described the bar 1 as being consti'ucted of wood but it may of course, be formed of any suitable material, or may be entirely dispensed with and a spacer block provided in its place, without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention. I prefer however to ilse the bar as described in that in case of severe strain upon the springs the bar formsa backin or reinforcement for the same thus great y' strengthening the Whittle-tree.

f desired one of the springs, preferably the spring 4 may be made somewhat weaker than the other, .whereby the resiliency will be increased to a considerable extent withoutunduly weakening the whitlle-tree. When so constructed it is desirable thatthe strength of the two springs be sutiicient to take up all strains ordinarily met with. If an un t usual strain is placed upon the whitlle-tree the spring 4 which is a weaker spring will be strengthened while the spring 8 is still partially bowed, in this position the bar 1 will reinforce the spring 4 to prevent its breaking, while any further strain will be taken entirely by the spring 3.

What I claim isz- A spring Whittie-tree, comprising a bar adapted to be pivotally secured to the running gear of a vehicle, semi-elliptical leaf- 4springssecured one upon either side of said bnr, szld springs being bowed in opposite! l directions, pulleys secured to the free entls y of one of seid springs, und flexible membersg secured by one end to the free ends of thel other sprin the free ends of seid members BEST AVAILABLE COPY 

